January 31, 1787. Hamilton Kerr, our hunter, began to build a house on the island, a little above the mouth of the Muskingum, and some of our men were ordered out as a fatigue party, to assist him, under the command of Lieutenant Pratt. February 11th. The weather has been very fine, and there is prospect of an early spring. 15th. Sergeant Judd went with a party of men to assist some inhabitants to move their families and settle near the garrison. 16th. Hamilton Kerr moved his family onto the island. 18th. Several families are settling on the Virginia shore, opposite the fort. 24th. Isaac Williams arrived with his family to settle on the opposite shore of the river. Several others have joined him, which makes our situation in the wilderness much more agreeable. 27th. Major Hamtramck arrived from Fort Steuben in order to muster the troops. The same day some of the hunters brought in a buffalo, which was eighteen hands high and weighed one thousand pounds. April 1st. The Indians came within twelve miles of the garrison, and killed an old man and took a boy prisoner. 5th. Lieutenant Smith went out with a party of men on a scout and discovered Indians on a hill within half a mile of the garrison. 9th. Ensign Kingsbury went on command with a party to bring in one of the hunters, fifty miles up the Muskingum, for fear of the Indians, who, we hear, are bent on mischief. 25th. One of our men discovered two Indians attempting to steal our horses a little distance from the fort.... May 1st. This is St. Tammany’s day, and was kept with the festivities usual to the frontiers. All the sergeants in the garrison crossed the Ohio to Mr. Williams’, and partook of an excellent dinner. 7th. Twenty-one boats passed on their way to the lower country, Kentucky. They had on board five hundred and nine souls, with many wagons, goods, etc. 14th. John Stockley, a fifer in Captain Strong’s company, deserted. He was pursued and overtaken twelve miles from the garrison, brought back and ordered to run the gauntlet eleven times, through the troops of the garrison, stripped of his Continental clothing, and drummed out the fort with a halter around his neck, all of which was punctually executed. 21st. This evening I sent a young man, who cooked for me on Kerr’s island, about half a mile above the fort after some milk; he was seen to jump into the river near the shore, when about a third of a mile from the garrison. We supposed some of the people were playing in the water. He did not return that evening, which led me to fear he had lost his course. In the morning a party was sent after him. They discovered fresh signs of Indians, and found his hat. They followed the trail, but did not find them. We afterwards heard that they had killed and scalped him. The Indians were a party of Ottawas. [Illustration: [Fleuron]]